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Fred Gould

Ryburgh Remembers is a community project commemorating those
remembered on the Roll of Honour and Parish War Memorials who fell in
The Great War.

Amongst the fallen named on the Roll of Honour in St
Andrew's Church Great Ryburgh, is Corporal Nicholas Brightmer Gould of
the Essex Regiment who was killed in action on 27 August 1918.Nicholas
who had originally enlisted into the Norfolk Regiment in Norwich was
born into a large family in North Elmham on 22 November 1893. The fourth
of six children born to James (a master carpenter) and Sarah Elizabeth
Gould, Nicholas had another 9 brothers and sisters from James' first
marriage to Martha Shirley.

Our research leads us to believe that some
of those family members moved to the East Winch area in the early
1900s, perhaps as agricultural workers and carpenters and that one or
more of James and Sarah's children may have followed them once
they reached working age.

Ryburgh Remembers would very much like to
hear from any members of the Gould family still living in the East Winch
area, to share what has been discovered about Nicholas and hopefully
develop further his biography as part of the centenary commemorations or
perhaps tell us why Corporal Gould was awarded the Croix De Guerre by
the French Government for 'distinguished service'.

If you have any
information or would like to know more about Nicholas, please telephone
Steve Bushby on 07760 451755 or e-mail SBRVAG@aol.com

____________

Fred Gould

From a newspaper report of 1987.

When people talk about the olden days they often paint them with a rosy glow - but for those who actually lived through them, memories are not always so sweet. Talking to 97 year old Fred Gould of East Winch, one is left in no doubt but that the times were hard indeed.

Fred was born at North Elmham, near Dereham, where his father, who was a master carpenter, worked on the nearby big estate. Fred was one of a large family and his father died when he was seven years old. When he was fifteen, the family moved to East Winch, where he had an uncle who was also a carpenter; Fred has lived at east Winch ever since that move.

' I remember leaving North Elmham at dawn' he said, 'with my family and the horse and tumbrill. I sat on a bag of potatoes'.

First Fred worked on a nearby farm, then at a slaughter house, which he hated, and eventually followed his father's and uncle's trade as a carpenter.

Later he added chimney sweep and postman to his work, which he carried on doing until he retired at age 80. Since then he has lived with his daughter Jean.His wife, Annie, died when she was 55, leaving Fred with five daughters. He now has five granchildren and ten great grandchildren.

All his life Fred has been a keen gardener, though he he unable to do so much now, having broken his hip nearly two years ago. He used to have a great reputation for his expert weather lore; but now he reckons that 'since they jumped about on the moon they have upset it all'

Fred has always been a bright and cheerful soul and in fact had never been to a doctor until his accident with his hip.Not for him the 'good old days' - he is happy to enjoy the home comforts of 1987.